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Visual Studio Code adds on-device AI dictation and sidebar chats

Visual Studio Code 1.132 introduces multilingual on-device AI dictation powered by Nemotron 3.5, alongside new sidebar chats that let developers interact with Copilot without interrupting their workflow. VS Code is one of our Essential Apps for both Windows and macOS.

By Ivan Franco, August 5, 2026, 3:20 PM

Gaming Software

SteamOS runs surprisingly well on AMD Strix Halo laptop in AAA gaming tests

The laptop hit more than 60 FPS at 1440p on High settings in most games

By Kishalaya Kundu, August 5, 2026, 2:06 PM

Hardware AI

Samsung reveals next-gen memory with stacked HBM and 400-layer NAND

zHBM promises 8x the performance of HBM5

By Skye Jacobs, August 5, 2026, 1:17 PM

Tech Deals Software

Microsoft Office is down to $29 for a lifetime license

TL;DR: If you're looking for a powerful productivity suite without paying for any monthly subscriptions, Office 2021 is now available for just $29. All the essentials you need for work or personal projects at 80% off the regular price.

Full story By TechSpot Deals

Tech Culture The Web

DuckDuckGo made sunglasses that do absolutely nothing, and they sold out

The "Normal F***ing sunglasses" are a jab at Meta's AI-powered smart glasses

By Alfonso Maruccia, August 5, 2026, 12:25 PM

Gaming Product Finder

Big Walk turns cooperative exploration into one of 2026's most acclaimed multiplayer experiences

Big Walk is winning over critics with its unique blend of cooperative exploration, proximity voice chat, and emergent gameplay. Reviews praise its focus on communication, teamwork, and memorable unscripted moments, calling it one of the year's standout multiplayer experiences despite minor pacing and movement issues.

By Ivan Franco, August 5, 2026, 12:17 PM

AI Industry

OpenAI to pay $3.2 million over allegations it favored visa holders and discouraged US job applicants

The DOJ says the company hid job listings, required paper applications, and used late-night radio ads

By Rob Thubron, August 5, 2026, 11:34 AM 9 comments

Tech Deals Microsoft

For a limited time, grab Windows 11 Pro for just $12

Unbeatable deal

By TechSpot Deals

Download of the Week Software

LocalSend is like AirDrop that actually works everywhere

If you've ever emailed yourself a file just to get it from a Windows laptop to an Android phone, LocalSend fixes that in 10 seconds. It's a free, open-source app that beams files peer-to-peer over your local network (no cloud, no account, no caps), encrypted end-to-end so nothing leaves the room. It runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS – a rare AirDrop alternative that doesn't care what device you're carrying.

By Julio Franco, August 5, 2026, 11:06 AM

Apple Software

CarPlay and Android Auto just found a new market – boats

MasterCraft's 2027 pontoons pair CarPlay with Savvy Navvy for charts, routing, and live weather

By Skye Jacobs, August 5, 2026, 10:38 AM

Space

A SpaceX rocket stage just crashed into the Moon after drifting through space for 18 months

The collision happened at 5,400 mph, approximately seven times the speed of sound

By Kishalaya Kundu, August 5, 2026, 10:04 AM

Security The Web

SEC bought access to over a billion airline records to track travelers, no warrant required

Records included passenger names, itineraries, and credit card numbers

By Rob Thubron, August 5, 2026, 8:21 AM

Industry AI

AMD's data center business just more than doubled, and gaming is paying the price

AMD made $6.7 billion from data centers last quarter – and expects to double it again

By Skye Jacobs, August 5, 2026, 7:46 AM 7 comments

Gaming Industry

EA is now owned by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund after $55 billion deal

What just happened? Video game giant Electronic Arts is now officially owned by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF). The group is also made up of investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the latter founded by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.

Full story By Rob Thubron, August 5, 2026, 7:03 AM

Security Car Tech

Police departments are told to call license plate readers "county resources" instead of naming them

Roughly 50 communities have dropped the cameras since early last year amid mounting backlash

By Daniel Sims, August 5, 2026, 6:15 AM

AI Security

Anthropic AI went rogue during a cyber test and tried to deceive real developers into approving malicious code

The agent created fake identities, sent spear-phishing emails, and submitted malicious bug reports

By Rob Thubron, August 5, 2026, 5:15 AM 11 comments

Tech Deals Software

The latest Microsoft Office 2024 Pro suite is now $55 in this limited-time deal

Unlock your productivity with the latest versions of Word, Excel, and Outlook

By TechSpot Deals

Essential Apps to Install on Windows and macOS

FEATURE By TechSpot Staff, August 5, 2026, 12:42 AM TechSpot Software

Just unboxed a new computer? Here's our curated list of essential Windows and macOS apps for productivity, security, entertainment, and everything you need to get up and running.

Hardware Mobile

The first Googlebook shows us what Google's Android-ChromeOS merger actually looks like

Leaked Lenovo Googlebook 15 images reveal dedicated Gemini key, 14 function keys, dual USB-C ports

By Alfonso Maruccia, August 4, 2026, 6:02 PM

AI Industry

Texas hits pause on 1,800 data center projects to scrutinize power and water demands

Combined, the stalled applications would require 474 gigawatts – far above the Texas grid operator's peak demand

By Skye Jacobs, August 4, 2026, 5:19 PM 21 comments

Security AI

AI is flooding Apple with fake bug reports, and real $200K macOS exploit got lost in the noise

AI has increased the number of helpful and bogus bug reports

Winners & losers: Generative AI has become a double-edged sword for security teams. The same technology that helps uncover and fix vulnerabilities faster than ever also makes it trivially easy to flood inboxes with dubious bug reports. That tension recently pushed Apple to change its bug bounty program in a way that ended up delaying disclosure of a genuinely serious exploit.

Full story By Daniel Sims, August 4, 2026, 4:28 PM

Tech Culture Space

Lego's latest Hubble set lets you look inside one of history's greatest space telescopes

The 1,252-piece model recreates Hubble's internal instruments, mirrors, and guidance systems

By Skye Jacobs, August 4, 2026, 1:05 PM

Industry Hardware

High Bandwidth Flash gets first technical specification for AI data centers

SanDisk and SK Hynix's new memory spec rethinks how AI chips access data

By Alfonso Maruccia, August 4, 2026, 12:24 PM

The Web Tech Culture

TikTok settles three addiction lawsuits as new case blames social media for teen suicides

Meta, Snapchat, and YouTube are also named as defendants in the new lawsuit

By Kishalaya Kundu, August 4, 2026, 11:26 AM

Download of the Week Software

VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 brings architectural upgrades and expanded OS support

VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 is the latest version of the go-to desktop hypervisor for developers and power users. Now fully free for commercial and personal use, it runs Windows, Linux, and BSD virtual machines side-by-side on a single PC – no rebooting, no repartitioning.

By Julio Franco, August 4, 2026, 11:10 AM